After the lecture in the morning where we were introduced to Isobel Laird from South Lanarkshire Council, we were then given an arts lesson in which she instructed us to create a washing line, a background and a wall. We started with the washing line. We were told to draw a washing line with clothes on it without lifting our pen off of the paper, which Isobel demonstrated to the whole class. We were all given the same size of white paper in which to draw this washing line, which we were to complete using watercolour paints supplied by Isobel. After the completion of the first task, we were then informed that we would now be making a background.

We did this by using the watercolour paints again, but this time we were to simply choose any colours and cover the piece of A4 white paper completely so that no white was left. While that was drying, we started our last task. As a group we were given a picture of some type of brick work, e.g. a wall or a building. We were instructed to concentrate on the contrasting colours and shapes of the bricks which we would be replicating.

I used a variety of shades and shapes to create my wall, as did my peers. Although we all had the same materials, we all produced slightly different pieces of art. I think it would be more beneficial if we were given more freedom of creativity, therefore stepping away from the uniformity of art in the classroom.

As teachers, we should always strive to have a tolerance for ambiguity. It is important that we do not force children to produce the exact same outcome as their peers within the arts, as it can impact on their confidence if they feel like they have not done as well as their peers. We should also accept their mistakes and allow them the opportunity to learn from them.